Caught in This Moment
by My One Hope
Summary: How many ways can two people fall in love? Apparently, a lot...100 themes.
1. Liar

19. Liar  
Words: 663

"This is for you." Motoki handed a bemused Mamoru a pink envelope.

"What's that?" Mamoru's arm stayed firmly by his side as he looked at the envelope curiously.

"How am I supposed to know?" Motoki responded, annoyed. "I found it on the counter this morning a little after I started my shift. I figured it was intended for you." He looked pointedly at the front off the envelope, where "Mamoru" was carefully written in flowing script.

Slowly, Mamoru reached over to accept it. Sliding a finger underneath the envelope flap, he pulled out the letter and began to read. He stopped, glanced hurriedly at the name signed at the bottom, and began to read again with renewed interest.

_Dear Mamoru,  
__I've waited so long to tell you that I love you. An abrupt way to begin a letter, I know, but I'm so very tired of keeping it all inside. It's been so frustrating! As much as I've loved our arguments (_And at this point, Mamoru quickly skipped to the writer of the letter), _I want more. I know that I'm young and you must think me childish, while you are so very sophisticated, but I know how I feel. If you would just give me a chance! I love you. I wish that I could hear you say those words to me.  
__ With all my heart,  
__Usagi_

Mamoru's face paled for a moment, and then, without warning, broke into the most beautiful grin to ever grace it.

"What's it say? Who's it from?" Motoki asked, leaning over the counter to get a better look.

Mamoru snapped out of his stupor in time to jerk the letter out of sight. "It's none of your business! I…have somewhere I have to be. I'll see you later."

"But…" Motoki began. He didn't have a chance. Mamoru was already gone.

Mamoru slammed through the arcade doors and was half way down the street before he realized he didn't know where he was going. 'She loves me!' he thought, and laughed out loud. For once, the ever-composed Mamoru did not take note of the odd glances that passers-by were throwing in his direction. Men looked at him with amused expressions, but women sighed. They knew a man in love when they saw one.

He took another turn and found himself in the park. 'Of course,' he thought. 'She'll be where the roses are.' He did not stop to question this knowledge. Who has time to question the heart?

No longer running, but walking with a purposeful stride, Mamoru found Usagi with her nose pressed to a deep red rose. She had her eyes closed and a dreamy expression that made Mamoru slightly dizzy.

"I love you," he blurted out. Usagi's head jerked away from the rose so fast that Mamoru was _almost_ disappointed that he had broken her out of her reverie. Almost. He watched as Usagi stood frozen before him. Patiently, he waited for her to overcome her shock.

"I…" Usagi began slowly, her face taking on a deep red color that Mamoru adored, "I love you, too!"

Without warning, Usagi hurtled herself into Mamoru's arms. Right where she belonged. She giggled and looked up at him.

"I loved your letter, Usako," Mamoru told her honestly.

Usagi beamed at him, and then scrunched up her tiny nose in confusion. "What letter?"

Back in the arcade, Motoki was wiping the counter while whistling a tune. Catching sight of something pink sticking out from behind the counter, he quickly glanced around to see if any of the other employees had seen it. Assured that they hadn't, he discretely pushed it out of view. Minako had thought it odd when he had asked her for some of the pink stationary she had brought in to show him yesterday afternoon, but Motoki merely shrugged and said that his little sister had been wanting some. 'So what if I'm a liar?' Motoki thought. 'Those two belong together.'

Mamoru and Usagi, both a little confused, decided to ignore it. They smiled.


	2. Advice

61: Advice

951 words

"I think you should tell her."

Mamoru's head jerked out of the book he had been "reading" for the last half hour. Seated across the table from him was a petite blue-haired girl that he immediately recognized as one of Usagi's friends. Ami.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about! I just…I'm…studying!" Mamoru stuttered, growing anxious under Ami's steady gaze. Her solemn expression gave way to a small smile.

"I know studying," she began quietly, and Mamoru had the impression that she was silently laughing at him, "and you're not doing it. At least... you're not studying that textbook there."

She reached over, took the textbook from him, and returned it—this time with the book upright. Neither spoke. A moment passed, and Mamoru's perfect composure gave way. He slumped forward with his head in his hands.

"I can't. She would never…she _should_ never…I'm not good enough. I'll never be good enough." He lifted his head to look at Usagi, who was furiously yelling at an arcade game. Unbidden, a smile came to his face. He turned to face Ami once more. "What could I do that would make her love me?"

"You can't." She said firmly. "Nothing you do can make her love you. It's an impossibility. Logic defies it."

Mamoru felt as if his hopes, small though they were, died. Before him sat one of Usako's closest friends, and with every word she spoke she confirmed his deepest fears. He slid slowly to the edge of the booth, and wearily pushed himself to a standing position. He took a step towards the door.

"You can't _make_ her love you," Ami continued softly, "but you can _let_ her love you. You have more reason to hope than you know."

Mamoru turned to face her, but she slipped quietly away from him and returned to Usagi's side.

Mamoru felt a return of hope. But more than the hope, he felt fear. He was afraid that Ami was wrong. So even as she looked at him from beside Usagi, he made his way out of the arcade. Perhaps he just imagined the intense look of disappointment in Ami's eyes.

Mamoru's apartment was confining. He paced. He flipped through channels on television. He read. He cooked dinner. He lay down in his bed, relieved that the day was over. But through it all, Ami's words haunted him.

"…_tell her…more reason to hope…let her love you…love you…more reason to hope…to hope…to hope…tell her…"_

Mamoru calmly pulled his pillow out from under his head, placed it firmly over his face, and yelled. Replacing the pillow back under his head, he folded his hands over his chest and stared at the ceiling. He waited for sleep to come.

It didn't.

Three hours of lying down had officially driven him crazy. The dots on his ceiling were beginning to take on a shape curiously similar to Usagi's head. In fact, if he listened carefully, he could hear Usagi's voice drifting softly into his room.

Mamoru jerked into a sitting position and listened more carefully. He _wasn't_ going crazy (well, excluding the part where he was starting to see her on his ceiling). Rushing over to his balcony, he eagerly peered over the edge to find a certain Odangoed beauty. Then he saw her. Sitting on a bench not far from his apartment, she had her head tilted back and was humming a wordless melody.

One moment he was standing there watching her, and the next moment he was heading down the stairs and out the building.

Usagi cut off abruptly when she noticed his approach, and quickly stood to leave. Mamoru took in her panicked look and felt sick. Did she really hate him that much?

"Don't go." Mamoru said. "I didn't mean to chase you off. I'm sorry that I'm such a nuisance."

Usagi paused, and took a seat again. With the streetlight hitting her face in just the right way, it almost looked as if…

"Have you been crying?" Mamoru asked in disbelief. Please, he thought. Please let it just be the light.

Usagi turned her face away from him and folded her hands in her lap. "No."

But Mamoru, no matter how much he wanted to believe her, knew otherwise. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand to her cheek and brushed away some of the tears. She flinched. Mamoru jerked his hand away as if he had been burned.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He cleared his throat and began again with a stronger voice. "I shouldn't have interrupted you. It's none of my business and I'll just—"

"What do you do," Usagi interrupted him quietly, "when you are in love with someone and they don't love you back?"

This was not quite the conversation that he had been hoping for. And this was not quite the topic he was best suited to give advice on. Even as he felt his heart breaking, he knew he could not lie to her. At least, not when it would cost Usagi her happiness.

"I think you should tell him." In his mind, he saw Ami's eyes. Maybe that _was_ disappointment. "You have more reason to hope than you know." He looked at her. She was so beautiful. "It would be worse to just keep it inside." He felt a growing strength. "Hope can be greater than fear." He reached over and took her small hand into his own. "I'm in love with you Usako."

"What took you so long, Mamo chan?" Usagi smiled. "I love you, too."

"You know that friend of yours? Ami? She gives some pretty good advice."

"I know. She's been trying to get me to tell you how I feel for _ages_."


	3. Telephone

26. Telephone

693 words

Mamoru reached over to answer the ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi," a nasally voice came through. "Is your refrigerator running?"

"Um, excuse me?"

"Then you better go catch it!" Mamoru heard the sound of muffled laughter and slammed the phone down. Fourth time tonight. The voices had all been different, and their clichéd prank calls had all been different, but Mamoru had a feeling that they were working together. Particularly after hearing that last call. The voice had been forcefully made nasally, but he would know Usagi's voice anywhere. Which only led him to conclude that four other teenaged girls were in on it as well.

But what to do? Mamoru, straight A student that he was, put his intelligence to use. Thoughtfully leaning back in his chair, Mamoru smiled. He had an idea.

Mamoru stood before Usagi's house. It was dark, and he had little fear of being seen. 'This is borderline stalking,' Mamoru thought, 'but she started it.'

Feeling justified, he made his way to the tree in her yard. The lights were all off except for one room on the second floor. Pulling himself up into the tree, he carefully climbed until he was level with the room. Cautiously peering in, he saw Usagi and her four friends all on the floor shaking with laughter. No surprise there. Usagi, closest to the window, had her back to him and was clutching something in her hands.

'I'll get her so good, she'll never prank call me again.' Mamoru grinned, noticing the open window. He reached to a nearby branch and broke it off quietly.

Leaning forward, he flung the branch straight at Usagi.

At first, it seemed that everything could not have gone more perfectly. The branch had latched onto Usagi's left odango and she had shrieked in fear. "Get it off me! Get it off me! It's killing me! It's biting me! I can feel it! Get it off! Get it off!" And she had danced from foot to foot.

Usagi's friends, for one stunned moment, did nothing. Then they leapt in unison with hands cautiously raised towards Usagi's head. Anything that was eating her could not be pleasant to grab. Still, they would have willingly extricated the "monster" from Usagi's head. That is, they would have if she had remained still. But she was now spinning around rapidly while shrieking. Mamoru almost fell out of the tree, he was laughing so hard.

Of course, things quickly went downhill for Mamoru, who had only wanted justice. For Usagi, dear klutz that she was, did not notice her stuffed animal on the floor in her panic. So it was no surprise when she tripped over it. However, combined with her spinning, the object that she had been hanging on to for dear life flew out of her hand. It flew out of her hand, through the open window, and straight at Mamoru. He had time for his eyes to go wide, and then he was lying on the ground looking up at Usagi's window.

One by one, the girls' head peered down at him. Mamoru saw Ami reach over and remove the branch from Usagi's hair. No one spoke.

"You," Mamoru spluttered, "well, you shouldn't have prank called me! How…how juvenile!"

"Me?" Usagi yelled? "I'm the juvenile one? Okay, you STALKER! You just threw something at my head!"

"Yeah, well, you started it!" Mamoru complained. Without thinking, he reached down to retrieve Usagi's treasured possession. Usagi's face, red from the argument and the spinning around, quickly blanched. Mamoru looked down to see what he held. It was a picture. More importantly, it was a picture of him. The frame had broken when it had hit the tree on the way down. He looked back up at Usagi.

"I…I don't have to explain ANYTHING to you, you jerk!" Usagi yelled. She slammed her window shut and pulled the curtain shut.

Mamoru looked back at the picture before slowly making his way home.

When Usagi woke up the next morning, she found Mamoru's picture on her porch. It was in a beautiful new frame. She put it back in its place on her desk.


	4. Mischief

21. Mischief  
382 words

"Don't you dare, Odango," Mamoru said sternly, eying the girl suspiciously. They were both in kayaks that were not far enough apart for Mamoru's comfort. Usagi, caught, froze with her paddle in the water poised for splashing. Mamoru sighed in relief.

Kayaking had not been part of his weekend plan. Motoki had been forced to take another shift to cover for a sick employee, and the girls had been heartbroken that with their only ride otherwise employed their kayaking trip would be cancelled. Mamoru, sitting quietly in a booth nearby as the news had been broken, had volunteered before he realized what he had done. So he found himself now with Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei off at a little distance, and Usagi looking over at him with innocent eyes. Too innocent.

Splash!

Mamoru gasped and looked at Usagi in disbelief.

"I can't believe…you just…" Mamoru trailed off.

Splash!

Usagi was just as wet. She had to be the cutest drowned rat ever, Mamoru thought admiringly. There was little time for thought as a full-fledged splashing war ensued. Usagi leaned a little too far forward, however, and her kayak tipped. She gave a startled cry before she was submerged.

One second passed. Usagi did not come up. Another second. Still no Usagi. Mamoru clutched the edge of his kayak and peered anxiously into the water. Panicked, he was just about to dive in after her, when his kayak suddenly lurched beneath him and he found himself in the water as well. Coming up quickly for air, he found himself face to face with a grinning Usagi.

"Gotcha!" Usagi crowed, missing the grin that was slowly forming on Mamoru's face. If she had seen, she might have known to be afraid.

Wordlessly, Mamoru scooped her into his arms and dunked her under the water. Quickly bringing her back up, he leaned really close to her and whispered, "Don't mess with the master."

"Hey you guys!" Makoto yelled. "What's going on over there?"

"Uh oh! Looks like we have a little _romance_!" Minako sang out, pronouncing "romance" in a heavy French accent.

Mamoru and Usagi glanced first at the girls, and then at each other. They blushed. Still, Mamoru did not relinquish his hold of Usagi, and Usagi never once tried to free herself.


	5. Daily Planner

35. Daily Planner  
692 Words

Mamoru carefully fingered the daily planner that sat on the counter before him. It would be wrong, of course, to open it. However, if he were merely looking for the name of the owner, then _surely_ there could be nothing wrong with that! The cover was opened slowly, before almost immediately being shut again.

The only problem with that logic, Mamoru thought bitterly, was that he already knew whose daily planner it was. He had not been watching Odango, of course, but he could not _help_ but notice when she had skipped out of the arcade leaving behind this very precious book. Could it really be wrong to take a quick glimpse at what her schedule would be like? Only, of _course_, to be able to tell how best to avoid her. This decided, Mamoru ignored the teasing laughter of his heart and opened the book. Flipping through the pages, he came across the current date. Skimming through the events of the day, Mamoru's eyes flitted across the page and landed thunderously on the last item.

_7:00 p.m. Date with cute guy in math class._

Mamoru froze. He felt jealousy rage through him, and slamming the book shut once more, he growled in anger. HIS Odango? His beautiful, wonderful, angel of an Odango was going out on a date? And it wasn't with him? He would not stand for it! He would not allow it! He would speak to her, calmly and rationally—his thoughts were broken off as he heard the jingling of the arcade doorbells and saw the aforementioned Odango enter. She looked frantically around the floor of the arcade. All thoughts of calm and rationality flew out of the window.

"ODANGO? What do you think you are doing?" Mamoru roared. Everyone froze. Everyone except Usagi.

"I'm looking for a daily planner I left here, you jerk," Usagi answered without deeming to look in Mamoru's direction.

"THIS?" He growled, holding up the said daily planner. Usagi took no notice of his tone, and beamed.

"Yes! I thought I had lost it!" Usagi reached over to retrieve the book, but Mamoru held it high over his head and out of reach of the teenager. Usagi jumped up and down to no avail—it was simply beyond her reach.

"Give it here, jerk!" Usagi panted, giving up her attempts to take back the book by force."

"Not until you explain _this!_" Mamoru said. He flipped open the book again to the present day. Usagi's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"You… you can't read that! That's a daily planner! There are private things in there!" Usagi was ignored.

"7:00 p.m. Date with cute guy in math class." Mamoru read the offending sentence with disgust. Usagi looked at him in disbelief.

"I can't _believe_ you just read that!" Usagi exploded.

"I FORBID you to go on a date with that creep!" Mamoru continued.

"What? Are you out of your mind? You have no right to forbid me to do anything and you certainly have no right to call him a creep! He's wonderful and kind and…"

"Enough!" Mamoru interrupted. "I won't hear of it!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Usagi taunted.

"I'm taking you out on a date myself!" Mamoru shouted.

"Fine!" Usagi yelled.

"Fine!" The couple, breathing hard, glared at each other for a moment, and then broke into a sheepish grin.

"Um, Mamoru? Did you really just ask me out?" Usagi asked quietly.

"Yes," Mamoru answered. Usagi beamed.

"Um, Usagi?" Mamoru began. "I believe you have a phone call to make to a certain 'cute guy in math class.'"

Usagi suddenly blushed, and leaned over the counter to use Motoki's phone.

"Hi," she began slowly. "Yeah, I found it. I really _had_ left it at the arcade. I'm so sorry about that! Yeah. I totally understand. I'll give it back to you tomorrow at school. Okay. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned hesitantly back to Mamoru.

"It was Minako's daily planner. She left it at Rei's, so I picked it up to return it to her tomorrow."

Mamoru looked at her in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?"

"So you'll pick me up at 7:00?"


	6. One Touch

60. One Touch

Words: 727

Mamoru sighed. This was going to be a difficult situation to explain, he thought mournfully to himself. How had things gotten so out of hand?

Everything had started out simple enough. The senshi had taken on another youma last night. Sailor Moon had tripped. Tuxedo Kamen had swept in and rescued her. The senshi sighed. Tuxedo Kamen made his dashing and mysterious exit. Except…

"So I was curious!" Mamoru yelled to no one in particular. "Sue me!"

Tuxedo Kamen had not returned to his well-furnished apartment. Instead he had stayed behind to hear whether or not Sailor Moon talked about him after the battle. An invasion of privacy? Yes. A misuse of his superhero powers? Yes. Perfectly understandable? Yes! So what had he done to deserve this?

Tuxedo Kamen had leaped into a nearby tree to eavesdrop. He had beamed in pride as Sailor Moon went on and on about his good looks and his charm. He had leaned closer to hear every word that escaped from her lips.

And he had lost his grip.

Hours later, Mamoru was still hanging suspended in the tree. Apparently, his shoe had caught in one of the branches. Try as he might, he could not free himself. The senshi had bid each other farewell, and only Mamoru's pride kept him from calling out to them for aid. Instead, he had detransformed and tried furiously to get down. All to no avail.

"Why me?" Mamoru cried out in frustration.

"Mamoru? Is that you?" An incredulous voice called out from beneath him. Mamoru felt as if he could cry. Let anyone see him like this, ANYONE, but her.

Usagi tried to look concerned. She tried to look worried. She tried to fight the feeling welling up inside her. There was a moment of struggle which was obvious by the look on her face, and then Usagi lost the fight.

A giggle slipped out of her mouth. Usagi's hands flew to her lips to smother it. She was too late. Another giggle. And then Usagi was rolling on the ground in laughter. It was too much for her to see the great Mamoru reduced to a man hanging helplessly upside down in a tree. Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest, but it did not have quite the same effect as when he was standing right side up looming over her. Usagi laughed harder.

"Odango," Mamoru drawled, trying not to show that he was dying in embarrassment, "If you're not going to make yourself useful, why don't you just go away?"

Usagi's giggles slowly subsided, and she managed a serious face. "You're right. I don't want to bother you while you're…hanging around!" Usagi burst out in more laughter. She struggled for air. "Get it? HANGING around!"

Mamoru was not amused. But apparently Usagi was. It was a good few minutes before her laughter subsided.

"Hardy ha ha. A little help Odango?" The request was forced from Mamoru's mouth. Usagi wiped the tears away from her eyes and beamed up at him.

"I'll help you, Mamoru!" She cried, and began scaling the tree. Mamoru suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. Usagi, however, could not help but notice how much more she liked Mamoru when he was helpless. Heaving herself up to the branch that Mamoru was caught on, she immediately went to work untying him. She talked the whole time.

"Mamoru! You are caught GOOD, jerk! Wow. How'd you do this? What were you doing in the tree? When I was seven…"

Mamoru stopped listening for a minute. Why did this feel like a bad idea again? Mamoru suddenly remembered the laws of gravity, and, panic-stricken, looked up at Usagi.

"Odango! No! Wait—" He was cut off by Usagi.

"Don't worry, Mamoru! I know how to untie a knot! Just a little more and…there! Got it!"

Mamoru plummeted to the ground, yelling all the way.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Mamoru! Are you okay?" Usagi scrambled out of the tree and down to where Mamoru lay moaning. She gently brushed the hair out of his face. "Speak to me, Mamoru!"

"Usako, how is it that one touch from you sends me falling from trees?" Mamoru asked, looking up into Usagi's beautiful eyes. She smiled at him.

"Usako?" She asked with arched eyebrows. Mamoru had some explaining to do. Maybe when he had recovered a little.


	7. Advertisement

50. Advertisement

435 Words

"I. Don't. Believe. It." Usagi's face was beet red. Her tiny balled up fists were at her sides. Her shoulders were heaving. Four frightened girls tried not to draw attention to themselves. One blonde arcade worker ducked beneath the counter. Several children slipped out unnoticed. A few grown men cowered. And one dark-haired infuriating male took a sip of his black coffee, smiling into the cup. He calmly turned the page of his newspaper.

"What IS that, Mamoru?" Usagi roared.

"Do you like it?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. He actually looked up at Usagi with that innocent face. Usagi exploded.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU JERK!" The walls quaked. Mamoru folded up the newspaper and turned to face her fully, so that his shirt was completely in view.

A shirt with Usagi's face on it. And the label "Odango Atama." Usagi seethed. "I—You—Uh! You're horrible! You're a jerk! You're a loser! You—"

Mamoru abruptly rose from the booth and began to approach her, and Usagi cut off in surprise. She took a step backwards, before stiffening her spine and stepping forward. She did not notice the gasps of surprise from the people standing behind Mamoru.

"You don't scare me," Usagi said with a glare. Loathing dripped from her voice, which effectively concealed the fact that facing off with Mamoru was sending her mind and heart reeling.

"Good," Mamoru said after a moment. "I think I would be rather disappointed in you if I did."

Usagi rolled her eyes. It hit her then that the people in the arcade were whispering furiously about something. She was not in the mood.

"WHAT IS IT?" She roared. The people took a step away from her, and didn't answer. A secretive smile played on Mamoru's lips.

"I know something you don't know," he half-sang, half-whispered. Mamoru actually looked like he was having fun. And when his eyes were so full of laughter, Usagi could hardly remember where she was. Before she could come up with an appropriate response, Mamoru smiled and said, "Another time, Odango."

He turned and walked towards the arcade doors. And Usagi could have fainted. In her anger, she had failed to realize that she had never seen the back of his shirt. But now she did. Three dots signifying a continuation from the front of the shirt preceded the following words, "The Most Beautiful Girl I Know."

Mamoru looked over his shoulder and smiled in delight at Usagi's surprise. "I had this shirt custom made."

Usagi watched him exit the arcade. For a moment, her expression was blank. Then, slowly, she smiled.


	8. Christmas

22. Christmas

932 Words

Usagi sighed. The Christmas party was dying down. People were yelling their goodbyes and laughing as they left the arcade. Motoki was starting to clean up the counter. Ami was stifling a yawn. And still she had failed to put into action her grand plan.

It had seemed so simple in her daydreams. The playful banter with Mamoru would be different somehow. He would not be so cruel in his well-aimed taunts, and she would not be so quick to cry and flee. He would notice the change in her and smile gently. Then, laughingly, someone would point out that there was a mistletoe overhead. She would be bashful and shy. He would be tender and gentlemanly. He would lean forward, and she would tilt her head upwards—

"Mistletoe!" Someone cried out, interrupting her daydreams. Her head shot upwards instinctively, but there was no mistletoe there. Still a little out of it having been yanked so rudely from her dreams, Usagi turned wistfully to see the lucky couple. Her heart stopped.

Rei and Mamoru stood underneath a mistletoe, both looking rather caught off-guard. Usagi didn't even breathe. Tears stung her eyes as the remaining people shouted for the traditional kiss. Without pausing to grab her scarf, Usagi stifled a sob and fled from the arcade. The bitter cold caused her to gasp, but she welcomed it. If only it could soothe the burning in her chest. She could barely breathe. Images of Mamoru leaning forward to kiss Rei filled her mind. She ran harder. Straight onto a patch of ice that sent her sprawling. She gave a small cry before burying her head into her knees. She made no move to stand.

"Odango!" Usagi heard Rei shout. She felt a sudden stab of anger and jealousy towards the girl, quickly followed by self-loathing. Rei was her friend, and the concern laced her voice so clearly that Usagi knew great shame. She felt Rei's slender arms tie around her shoulder as she murmured comfortingly to her. "C'mon, Odango. We have to get you out of this cold."

Usagi lifted her head from her knees, and stared at Rei with dead eyes. Rei tried to lift her by the arms, but Usagi didn't move. "You kissed him." She said. Her voice was emotionless.

Rei didn't answer at first. She looked away from Usagi before beginning. "When I first saw Mamoru, I thought he was gorgeous." Rei's lips turned upward slightly. "I still do. I fell for him immediately. But then…then I saw him with you. I saw the way your eyes lit up with 'anger' every time you argued. I saw the way he checked his watch impatiently for you to run into the arcade, late as usual. I saw that, and I stopped to take a good look at my feelings for the man. Do you know what I found?"

She turned back to Usagi and arched her eyebrows. Usagi shook her head. "I found that I didn't love him after all. I cornered him that day as he was waiting for you. Told him what I knew about his feelings for you. He denied it at first. Or at least, he tried to. But you walked in that day and he couldn't even speak for a full minute. It's kind of hard to deny your feelings after _that_," Rei said wryly. "So we conspired. He was going to tell you his feelings tonight."

Usagi's heart had begun to fill with hope at the beginning of Rei's little tale. By the end, she could have burst at the feeling that was overcoming her. But then she saw Rei and Mamoru, under the mistletoe, looking for all the world as if they were the perfect couple.

"But it was you that he kissed," Usagi said softly, blinking furiously to hold back the tears.

"I didn't kiss her, Odango."

Usagi inhaled sharply, and didn't dare to turn to face the owner of the voice behind her. Because she knew she would look into the deep blue eyes and lose herself. Again. Before the words could fully register, she felt two warm hands lift her from the icy ground and stand her upright. Rei smiled, before quickly walking off.

"Did you hear me, Odango?" Mamoru asked softly, turning her around so that she faced him. Usagi slowly lifted her eyes up to meet his. "I was so nervous, and Rei was so busy trying to reassure me, we didn't even realize the mistletoe was there. You ran out of the arcade before we could stop you."

Usagi opened her mouth to answer him but found that she could not speak. She shut her mouth and turned her head away.

"Usako," Mamoru whispered gently. Usagi wanted so badly to believe that she wasn't imagining his tone of voice. "Usako, I love you."

Usagi didn't respond at first. It was too much to hope that he could be telling the truth. It was too much to hope that he could love her. But Usagi found, in that moment, that when hope couldn't bring her to believe his words…love could. So she let the words slip out of her mouth without even trying to stop them.

"Mamoru baka, I love you, too."

Their hands found each other in the cold.

Usagi looked up at Mamoru and smiled, before her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Mamoru, _what are you doing wearing my pink scarf_?"

Mamoru gave a sheepish shrug before responding defensively, "It's cold out here! Besides, I think I look quite dashing."

And Usagi, despite her giggles, very much agreed.


	9. Death

18. Death

444 Words

He was _doing_ it again!

Usagi jerked her head away, only to sigh agitatedly and slowly turn his way again. Just as she did, Mamoru raked his long fingers through his ebony hair. Usagi glared at the unsuspecting male.

How DARE he? How dare he do such a thing, when he _knew_ how much Usagi wanted to run her fingers through his hair! The utter impertinence of it all! Somewhere in the corner of her mind, she knew she was being unreasonable. There was simply no way the poor man could have even begun to discern Usagi's _true_ feelings for him. She had panicked when she had first seen him, mortified at her foolishness for tossing the crumpled up paper, and clung to the only defense she had. She yelled at him. Insulted him. Ignored him. But oh how she loved him!

She remembered, too, (how could she forget) the day that she had searched her heart, only to find that it was love that she felt for him. A crush she could have dealt with. Crushes are easily enough discarded if need be. But love? How could she fight it? What could she do? So many times, her fingers had _itched_ to brush that hair from his face. So many times…and he was doing it again!

A sudden beeping noise from the video game before her brought her crashing back down to earth. The words GAME OVER flashed onto the screen. The last of her money. And she had died. Because of him!

Usagi seethed. She turned red. Her fists balled. This was TOO MUCH!

Pushing her sleeves up to her elbows, she marched up to where Mamoru sat reading a textbook at a booth. He sensed her presence (or perhaps his impending doom?) and, startled, looked up to meet her very angry gaze. Mamoru did not know exactly what was going on, but a knot of nervousness was beginning to grow in the pit of his stomach. VERY angry, indeed.

Placing the palms of her two hands flat on the table, she leaned forward until she was only a few inches away from his face.

"I have had it with you," She began quietly. Mamoru gulped audibly. "I put up with your taunting, your insults…but I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH MY DEATH! I wasted perfectly good money because of you! And for HEAVEN'S SAKE—" Here Usagi reached forward suddenly. Mamoru flinched and closed his eyes on reflex before feeling the coolness of Usagi's touch sweep across his forehead. "DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT HAIR!"

With that, Usagi stormed out of the arcade. Mamoru raised his hand to his forehead in wonder, before scowling. Had she just insulted his hair?


	10. Hurt Feelings

87. Hurt Feelings

620 Words

A compassionate and deeply regretful Usagi held the sobbing Ami in her arms.

"Oh, Ami!" She cried. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!"

What exactly she didn't mean, Usagi didn't really know, but that wasn't the point now. The point was that she had offended her friend. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation, but the last thing she could remember saying was asking Ami if she was going to be studying. Ami had burst into tears and asked if that was how Usagi saw her. Immediately, Usagi had rushed to comfort her.

A particularly loud sob drew Usagi back to the moment. She once more began her flurry of apologies.

* * *

Meanwhile, a bewildered Mamoru eyed a weepy Makoto. A WEEPY Makoto. Mamoru never thought he would see the day.

"Erm," He began hesitantly, "Makoto, I'm very sorry about your cat. I'm sure that he is fine and that…"

"But you just don't KNOW!" Makoto sobbed. "He looked so ANGRY. I didn't know how to apologize to him. And then. Then he just LEFT!" Makoto buried her face into her arms and wailed.

"Makoto…It's not your fault that you didn't have…erm, what exactly was it that you didn't have?" Mamoru scratched his head.

"Weren't you listening?" Makoto's muffled screech made Mamoru wince. "His favorite cat food! I didn't have his favorite cat food! How could you be so insensitive?"

Mamoru furrowed his brows in concern. "I'm so sorry, Makoto. If there's anything I can do…"

"Ice cream!" Makoto's head popped up. Her eyes were wild. "I need ice cream! Now!"

Mamoru almost fell off of his stool. "YES! I…I'm on it."

* * *

"Ami, would you like a water or something?" Usagi asked hesitantly. Ami still had not stopped crying.

"Ice cream," she answered firmly. "Get me ice cream." Usagi took off for the counter.

* * *

Mamoru and Usagi both reached the counter at exactly the same time. Motoki just looked at them.

"I need ice cream!" They cried, completely in synch, before throwing wearing glances at each other.

Motoki shrugged, and pointed to the back room. "I'm out of supplies. You'll have to get them for me."

Nodding resignedly, the frazzled couple made their way to the storage room. Picking out what she needed hurriedly, she eyed Mamoru. "Didn't realize you were such an ice cream fanatic, jerk."

"I'm not," he answered without looking at her. His arms reached mechanically for the needed items. "It's your friend. She's not in the best mood and she wanted some ice cream."

Usagi started to answer, but she was cut off by the sound of the storage room door slamming shut. There was the scrape of the key locking the door, and all was silent. Usagi and Mamoru eyed each other.

* * *

Outside, Ami and Makoto giggled.

"So, Ami. When did you start eating ice cream? I thought you were lactose intolerant."

"Whatever, Makoto. When did you get a cat? Last I heard, you were allergic."

"Let's not fight right now, Ami. Remember? We're both very upset. We should have a soda or something."

The two girls made their way back to the counter where Motoki was. He stopped wiping the counter and asked, "What can I get for you?"

"An ice cream for me and a soda for Ami, please," Makoto answered. All three ignored the frantic pounding on the storage room door. Motoki promptly handed the girls their orders.

Rei and Minako looked at each other, shook their heads, and walked up to the three.

"I thought you were out of supplies, Motoki," Rei stated dryly.

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves," Minako added with a tone of admiration.

"So you girls want shakes? They're on me." Motoki winked.

"Sure!" They chorused.

* * *

AN: Hey guys! Thank you so much for the incredibly sweet reviews! I have been DESPERATELY trying to avoid any multi-part drabbles, however I simply could not get this idea out of my head for the "Hurt Feelings" theme. I feel a little guilty for the lack of Usa/Mamo interaction, though...If you want a second part, just let me know!


	11. Chocolate

1. Chocolate

Words: 371

Author's note: Hey, guys! I'm back from a little break with the second part of the "Closet Series" that was started with the Hurt Feelings chapter. There will be five parts total, and I should have them out pretty quickly. Let me know what you think!

"Please."

"No."

"Please!"

"No!"

"PLEASE!"

"Dangit, Mamoru! I SAID NO!"

Eyeing the demon before him, cleverly disguised as a too-cute-for-her-own-good teenager, Mamoru forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Odango," Mamoru began, speaking through clenched teeth. Usagi's eyes narrowed. Mamoru paused, and then began again.

"_Usagi,_" he nearly growled, his calm façade slipping away. "I only want to _see_ it. I will not harm it in any way, shape, or form. With that said, may I _please_ see that chocolate bar!"

"You see, Mamoru baka," Usagi said very sweetly, tilting her head to the side with an air of innocence. "I _would_ let you see the chocolate, except for a very small fact that I have already informed you of SEVERAL times. We are locked in a closet with no knowledge of when my so-called friends will release us. Without a regular dose of chocolate, I will DIE. This is my last bar of chocolate. Therefore, I will keep it in my possession at all times in case I experience a chocolate attack. Understand?"

"But I only want to see it!" Mamoru noted Usagi's face of stone. "Look, I'm allergic to chocolate anyway. It's not like I'm going to eat it!"

Usagi's jaw dropped. "You're—you're _allergic _to _chocolate_?"

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Yes, Odango."

"But…how is that even possible?" Usagi was beyond appalled.

"Well, Usagi, there are certain receptors in the body—"

Usagi thrust the chocolate in front of Mamoru quickly. "No, just take it! No science talk! For heaven's sake, no science talk! But I want it back right away." She stamped her feet for emphasis.

"Of course," Mamoru said smoothly, taking the chocolate bar from Usagi.

Mamoru looked carefully at the wrapper.

Usagi watched him suspiciously.

Mamoru turned the bar over.

Usagi wasn't even blinking.

A shout of laughter heard through the door caused Usagi to look away for a moment, before swiftly returning her gaze to her beloved chocolate bar.

A chocolate bar that was no longer in Mamoru's hands.

In its place was a crinkled wrapper.

Utter silence.

"WHERE'S MY CHOCOLATE BAR?" Usagi shrieked.

Wincing a little, Mamoru shrugged.

"But—you—allergic—chocolate—MAMORU BAKA!!!"

Mamoru smirked. "Sorry, Odango. But I needed MY daily chocolate fix."


	12. Closet

87 Closet

Words

Usagi eyed the very small window doubtfully. "I really don't think I'm going to fit through _there,_ Mamoru baka."

"Of course you will," Mamoru said impatiently, trying to keep his own doubts out of his voice. Usagi was small, but that window really was very tiny. Maybe if he pushed really hard? Usagi turned to face Mamoru, opening her mouth to protest once more. Mamoru smiled sweetly, "Usagi chan? Don't you want to get out of here? Aren't you…hungry yet?"

Usagi's tummy growled pitifully at the reminder. 2 hours. 2 hours she had been locked in here with the gorgeous demon himself and no food to eat. Some supply closet. The napkins really weren't going to cut it. Straightening up, Usagi nodded firmly to Mamoru and marched up to the window. Grimly, Usagi glanced at Mamoru over her shoulder. "Give me a boost."

Mamoru carefully held back the grin that was slowly blossoming on his face. Stooping slightly to her left, he laced his fingers together and held them out to Usagi. She slipped one dainty foot into his outstretched hand, braced herself, and kicked off toward the open window. Which is where their brilliant plan ran into a bit of a stumbling block. Or rather, it was where Usagi's waist ran into the frame of the window—hard.

Mamoru tried not to laugh, really, but to no avail. Because Usagi was now half in the window and half out, having been caught around her middle section, and her legs were windmilling in an insanely Usagi fashion.

Usagi wailed. She really couldn't help it. The window frame was cutting into her stomach, it _hurt_, and Mamoru baka was _laughing _at her. Wailing proved to be uncomfortable in this position. Usagi whimpered.

Mamoru was laughing hard, but he caught the sound of her whimper and went from highly amused to very concerned. He placed two very steady hands onto either side of Usagi's waist and gave a little tug.

Usagi didn't budge. Huffing, Usagi managed to growl, "Mamoru baka! Get. Me. Out!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying," muttered Mamoru, bracing his leg against the wall. Counting in his head, Mamoru reached three and shoved off of the wall. Which worked rather too well. Usagi came flying back into the room, knocking Mamoru off balance and they both hit the wall with a rather alarming thud.

"Usagi? You okay?" Mamoru asked, lifting himself up off the floor. Usagi shot a hateful glance in his direction, rubbing her head. Mamoru sighed. "Let me have a look at that."

Suspiciously, Usagi allowed Mamoru to approach. Mamoru tried to get behind her so he could see the back of her head, but Usagi absolutely refused to let him out of sight. "You ate my chocolate bar," Usagi accused. "You got me stuck in a window!"

Mamoru took her by the shoulders and gently shook her. "Usagi. You could have a concussion. At least let me check to see if there are any sort of bumps or abrasions." Seeing her still reluctant look, he added, "Please?"

Usagi hesitated, but slowly turned around. "But none of your funny business, Mister!"

Shaking his head, Mamoru lifted his fingers to the back of Usagi's head. Gently, he felt for bumps. Nothing there, thought Mamoru, relieved.

The door flew open and hit the wall with a bang, making Mamoru leap backwards in surprise. A stammering waitress offered hasty apologies for having intruded before fleeing, eyes cast down.

Shrugging, Mamoru headed for the door, and…freedom? For some reason, he felt oddly…disappointed. A feeling that he would have seen mirrored in Usagi's eyes, if only he had looked.

AN: So…sorry for the INCREDIBLY late update. But I WILL finish these drabbles! More specifically, I will be finishing this brief segment of the drabbles, which I have dubbed the Closet series. This is part three, and there will be two additional parts following this, wrapping up the action. Don't worry—it doesn't stop here!


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